ARCATA, Calif. — Cal Poly Humboldt softball delivered a statement performance on Senior Day, sweeping NorCal rival Chico State in a Saturday doubleheader at Humboldt Softball Field to complete a four-game series sweep and surge into third place in the CCAA standings with one week remaining in the regular season.
With the pair of wins, the Lumberjacks improve to 23-24 overall and 14-12 in conference play and now sit just one win away from officially clinching a berth in the CCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017.
Game 1 | Cal Poly Humboldt 5, Chico State 2
In the opener, Humboldt used timely power and a dominant performance in the circle from Lily Fournier to secure a 5-2 victory.
Fournier (12-12) went the distance, allowing seven hits and two unearned runs while striking out seven and issuing no walks across seven innings.
After a scoreless first three frames, the 'Jacks broke through in the fourth, taking advantage of a Chico State miscue to grab a 1-0 lead. The Wildcats responded in the sixth, capitalizing on two Humboldt errors to take a 2-1 advantage.
Humboldt answered immediately—and emphatically—in the bottom half of the inning.
Matea Muraoka sparked the rally with a solo home run, her first in a Humboldt uniform, to even the score before Alexa Garcia delivered the decisive blow, launching a two-run homer to left to put the 'Jacks in front for good. Later in the inning, Bella Garcia added insurance with an RBI single to plate Hailee Moore and extend the lead to 5-2.
Offensively, Humboldt made the most of its opportunities despite just six hits. Banks reached base safely multiple times and scored twice, while Shelby Shanks drew two walks to help fuel the offense.
Game 2 | Cal Poly Humboldt 8, Chico State 4
The 'Jacks carried that momentum into game two, erupting for 12 hits in an 8-4 win to complete the sweep.
Humboldt broke the game open early, scoring three runs in the third inning. Shelby Shanks highlighted the frame with a two-run home run to left, part of a perfect 3-for-4 performance with two RBI.
The 'Jacks added three more runs in the fourth, with Alyssa Ramirez delivering a two-RBI single and Bella Garcia continuing her strong day with an RBI knock.
Chico State chipped away, cutting the lead to 6-4 after a two-run homer in the sixth, but Humboldt responded once again. Bella Garcia drove in her second run of the game with an RBI single before Marissa Brody added another RBI base hit to push the lead to 8-4.
Garcia finished 2-for-3 with two RBI and a walk, reaching base three times, while Moore scored three runs and went 2-for-2 at the plate. Shanks led the offensive surge with three hits, and multiple 'Jacks contributed to the team's 12-hit performance.
In the circle, Ariana Bottel (5-6) earned the win, tossing 5.2 innings while working around traffic and limiting damage. Fournier returned in relief to shut the door, tossing 1.1 scoreless innings to secure the sweep.
Up Next
Cal Poly Humboldt closes out the regular season on the road next week, traveling to Turlock for a pivotal four-game CCAA series against Stanislaus State. Doubleheaders are scheduled for Friday at 1 p.m. and Saturday at 11 a.m. as the 'Jacks look to lock in their postseason spot.
